REVIEWS
by Marcus Luche
One-Woman Hilarity at Out Front On Main
The past few weeks have seen a number of comedy acts and shorter productions at Out Front on Main. I had the opportunity to attend the appropriately titled Laugh or Die!, a one-woman show penned and performed by Christy Eidson. This intensely personal performance chronicles the playwright’s horrifically amusing adolescence. Laugh or Die! was an extended buffet of lightly sweetened schadenfreude.
Eidson’s stories, some of which are so fantastical that one would doubt their veracity were it not for her fearless recitation, deal with every aspect of coming of age in the waning years of the 20th century. From death and abandonment to the awkwardness of family connections to the fears of forging ahead on one’s own, Laugh or Die! reminds its audience that life is never without tribulation, but also that humor can be a balm for the soul.
Eidson is obviously a very adroit performer; her spontaneity and wit allowed an hour and a half to pass in what felt like the blink of an eye. She skillfully incorporated banter with the audience into her previously crafted routine. There were a few moments of repetition when the performance gave the impression of being under-rehearsed, but these were easily forgiven as Eidson’s winsome presence continued to hold the stage. I highly recommend that you seek out future performances of Laugh or Die! I assure you that you won’t be sorry.
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Just saw Christy Eidson's "Laugh or Die!" for the first time. It was not just the best show I have seen, it was an experience. She kept me laughing the entire time, while also covering some very emotional and real personal experiences. Everyone should see it. I promise you will be entertained and gain a new outlook on everything. 2 more performances at Out Front On Main tomorrow and Saturday night at 7:30. ~Ryan D.
Absolutely wonderful job tonight, I was laughing one minute and wanting to cry the next, Cicily loved it and can't wait to go see another show. I appreciate what you put into it and how great you delivered it, you are truly a talent and I can't wait to see more from you, I am so happy that you were able to do this show and thought it was unbelievable and great. Congratulations!!!!!! ~ Jason B.
Christy Eidson's Laugh or Die is awesome. The way she communicates with the audience, you feel like she is conversing with you personally, like family. I highly recommend seeing this show, what a story!!! ~ Jorge S.
The show was superb, masterfully written, a definite must see in my book! When Christy takes a seat an speaks for a while, it is like you are seated with her at the dinnertable, a down home feel. 5 stars for Christy, and what a wonderful hidden gem of a venue. Check this show and place out folks! ~ Barron G.
NashComedy.com ~ Jessica Carter review
Last weekend, I went to Murfreesboro to catch Christy Eidson’s one woman show Laugh or Die at Out Front On Main. Prior to watching the show, I knew just a little about the subject matter she was going to cover in Laugh or Die. Christy had joined me on my radio show a few weeks earlier to talk about it, and her performance at Out Front On Main.
Just as the show‘s title implies, Laugh or Die is about death – particularly family deaths Christy experienced while growing up in Millersville, TN. However, the ‘laugh’ part is crucial in the title, as Christy also covers her dreams as a young woman of working in comedy. Of course, those dreams and aspirations were constantly shrouded in family death and family passive aggression surrounding her as a child. Her perspectives on life were permanently changed at a young age, and that can only lead to the results of becoming a very funny adult later in life. Sounds like an emotionally heavy show, right? Yes. But, the laughter is always present to balance it out. Christy Eidson has been a working comic for several years now.
She’s performed at comedy clubs all over the country and has television credits as well. In Laugh or Die, she uses her sharp wit to craft a potentially overwhelmingly sad story into a joke. Christy’s stories, jokes and observations are not only comical, but also force a quiet reflection on our own experiences with death. She also takes time to paint a comical and sometimes scary mental picture of her great-grandparents who raised her. Her observations about family behavior during and after a death are dead on in the show. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.) Her cast of family characters include: the vultures who come out claiming heirlooms, the nosey gossips, and the uncle who insists on taking a picture of the whole family at the funeral. I personally could really relate to that uncle, because everyone has an uncle who inevitably shouts at a funeral, “I just want one G.D. nice picture of the family! When are we ever going to look this nice and be all together again?” At the next funeral no doubt – and all the characters will be there.
Christy is planning to develop the show even more, and these first few performances at Out Front On Main were definitely a productive workshop for her. I am looking forward to see the show grow, as I noticed several moments in the production that would benefit from even more elaboration. Be on the lookout for another run of Laugh or Die in the near future, and check it out if you have a chance. There will be laugher, reflection, and more laugher for sure. To quote my friend Richard Browder, who came to watch the show, “I felt like she took me to therapy, but I laughed.”